A baron is a member of the lowest rank of Britishpeerage, ranking below a viscount. A female of that rank is a baroness. A baron is said to hold a "barony" .

Initially, barons were men who held land directly from the monarch. A barony was created in one of two ways: by a writ of summons[?] directing someone to Parliament, or by letters patent. Baronies are thus no longer directly related to land ownership.